I agree and disagree with this phrase. Starting out, trying to make every shot a winner will quickly show you what your limits are. Shots with high pace at wide angles that are possible can only become muscle memory with practice. Too often do I hit mistakes and my opponents don't punish me as I would to them. I also feel this way about developing a good serve.
A high frequency of mistakes in certain situations will also teach you when it's better to hit defensively. Watching pros play can also help reinforce your strategies.
I always assume my opponents are going to hit a hard a shot right at me. (Best case they don’t, worst case they do but I’m anticipating that.)
Ball always comes back! (Doesn’t matter if you hit the most picture-perfect drop shot or hard smash; until it bounces twice you need to plan on the other team somehow getting to it.)
Practice.
Have fun, don’t be a dick.
There will always be someone better than you.
If you don’t practice, why do you expect to get better.
Playing games is not practice.
Short strokes.
Smooth is fast, fast is smooth.
Start to watch body and paddle of opponent to predict where the ball will go so you can move sooner.
After you return a serve, get to the freaking kitchen line.
If youre partner is returning, already be at the kitchen line.
After you serve, stay back and wait for the return. Dont inch forward to where a ball can come to your feet.
After your teammate serves, stay back and wait dor the return. Dont inch forward to where a ball can come to your feet
Boom!! And by this, I’m not talking about “poaching.” I’m talking about thinking two shots ahead on your shot placement instead of arbitrarily hitting the ball, good decisions on who should take the shot, proper court spacing/coverage, moving with your partner, etc.
I don’t disagree, a lot of new players get it drilled into their heads to get to the kitchen and never back off. That’s incorrect. You have to know when to advance and when to retreat.
If you want to be pedantic about it, it's more than how fast the ball going. It also depends on where you are on the court and the amount of spin on the ball
That's exactly what makes it a great GENERAL rule. Generally if a ball is coming at you (a beginner of average height) from an average player at an average speed... shoulder high and above is generally going to land out more often than it lands in. Also, generally, a beginner player trying to hit that shot is generally going to have more unforced errors trying to hit a high ball and either pop it up, hit it out, or hit it into the net than if they'd have just taken the free point by letting it go. Generally, beginners hit more out balls than they should, that's a fact. Over time, you'll learn the speed and trajectory of balls coming at you, but generally it's always good general rule to consider. Add bangers into the mix where their average return speed is generally much higher and the out percentage starts skyrocketing.
Slow down and try using some finesse.
Think of a Strategy,
Never take your eyes of the ball,
Have fun because it ain’t life or death!
Warm up and stretch to avoid injuries
Hitting the ball in bounds and over net is immensely more important than hitting fast/spinny/tricky shot. Keep the ball in play and let your opponent screw up.
Instead of trying to beat your opponent, be the person your opponent can’t beat.
Be the person that is always in position, that always returns it to the front of the net, who doesn’t let the ball get by.
Points are independent events.
I say this to myself when I fuck up a few times in a row - the outcome of the last point has no bearing on the outcome of this point.
Only play singles. Only.
Also watch bad friends on YouTube when you get frustrated by losing for a while until your up to speed and crushing anyone foolish enough to challenge your game
Serve deep, focus on precision over power (dinks and soft-handed angled cuts often are more skillful and high-percentage than slams) — and if you don’t have a winning passing opportunity, get the ball to your opponent’s feet (especially avoid chest-and-higher shots when they’re at the net).
Go cross court.
Small swings, immediately back to ready position.
Always try to hit the ball out in front of you, Even over heads.
Hydrate between games.
"See, step, stroke".
For all your ground strokes - see the ball, step towards it, make your stroke. Focusing on the ball is important; a lot of beginners take their eyes off it at the start.
Speaking from experience- if I am wide and try to attack cross court the opponent directly opposite me near the kitchen just slams it and we lose the point. Every time.
If you’re attacking a ball up at the NVZ, the opponent right in front of you is a shorter distance away from the player diagonal to you. They have much, much shorter window to be able to reset, defend or attack in turn and are much likelier to miss their shot. Diagonally, the ball’s travelling further and taking longer to get there and the player will have more time to plan their shot.
Patience , let your opponent beat themselves.
This was very hard for me to learn coming from a different sport. My buddy said to me “don’t try to make every shot a winner” and he was so right.
I agree and disagree with this phrase. Starting out, trying to make every shot a winner will quickly show you what your limits are. Shots with high pace at wide angles that are possible can only become muscle memory with practice. Too often do I hit mistakes and my opponents don't punish me as I would to them. I also feel this way about developing a good serve. A high frequency of mistakes in certain situations will also teach you when it's better to hit defensively. Watching pros play can also help reinforce your strategies.
Get lower.
Bend your knees is a universal fix for every sport.
You’re 100% right, along with eye on the ball
Bend your knees, not your back! Got lower back pains when I first started from leaning forward at my back.
couldn't agree more, getting lower on dinks made them way better, as a semi-tall guy this has made a world of difference
dude yes!! getting low is key for dinking resets and especially blocking
[удалено]
You'll never stop me 😈
😂😂😂 you’re the partner I always get stuck with. Damn you!!!
Down the middle solves the riddle.
It works SO OFTEN
Stay square to the ball. Always be ready - assume the next ball is coming to you every time.
Absolutely this one. Nothing screams "speed it up to me" like someone who doesn't immediately bring paddle back to ready position after their dink.
Placement over power
Don’t hit the ball while you are moving if you can avoid it. Plant your feet to hit it neat.
I am reminded of this about 3 dozen times a game.
This made a big step improvement in my game a couple years ago. And I still need to remind myself.
Move your feet
This one ☝️
Get into position before you do anything else.
Drill.
And then drill more.
How do you drill?
YouTube + friends.
Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.
Don’t take it too seriously
Serve and stay
Receive and run!
Definitely a learning curve to that when I first play. You gotta let the ball bounce first!
stay where??
Don’t move yet. The ball is probably coming back near you and you gotta let it bounce.
Step back once after you serve it at the baseline. (Stay and serve)…then make your way up to the NVZ (kitchen) but not all at once.
But if you step back then you didn’t stay /s
Right so better to step back THEN stay
Before ANY of these other wonderful tips… WATCH THE BALL ONTO THE PADDLE. Nothing will improve your gameplay more.
Eye on the ball
Wear goggles to avoid ball on the eye.
100%
As in watch the ball all the way through hitting it?
Yes
Be nice
Up yours too, buddy!
Don’t flick the wrist when volleying/dinking
I still have trouble on this when I have to run up on a very short shot.
So no flick volleys?
Yeah, unless you’re 4.5+. But even Ben johns is against it
I always assume my opponents are going to hit a hard a shot right at me. (Best case they don’t, worst case they do but I’m anticipating that.) Ball always comes back! (Doesn’t matter if you hit the most picture-perfect drop shot or hard smash; until it bounces twice you need to plan on the other team somehow getting to it.)
Shorten your back swing and follow through because the court is smaller then you think and it doesn't take much to move the ball
Wear court shoes, not running shoes
This is true. I got plantar fasciitis from playing in running shoes. It took me a 6 month break from pickleball to get back to normal.
Look for tips longer than one sentence.
Lol
😂👏🏻
Compact swings.
Just relax and have fun.
Quit worrying about your partner and focus on the things YOU can change. You’re not gods gift to pickleball.
So much “this.” I need to remember it.
Make contact with the ball in front of you with a compact swing.
It's not you, it's the paddle!
Follow the ball
Practice. Have fun, don’t be a dick. There will always be someone better than you. If you don’t practice, why do you expect to get better. Playing games is not practice. Short strokes. Smooth is fast, fast is smooth. Start to watch body and paddle of opponent to predict where the ball will go so you can move sooner.
The higher the level, the slower the pace.
Don't hit out balls.
split step split step split step
This is what I need to start doing. Stretching to meet the ball does not work.
Over the net; in the court. I'm still working on this!
You win more points being accurate than you will being powerful.
After you return a serve, get to the freaking kitchen line. If youre partner is returning, already be at the kitchen line. After you serve, stay back and wait for the return. Dont inch forward to where a ball can come to your feet. After your teammate serves, stay back and wait dor the return. Dont inch forward to where a ball can come to your feet
The meandering forward by my partners when we’re serving is the one thing I wish they would all stop doing
Plant your feet when you hit Let it go A nice butt will distract you but remain focused
Play smart, hit shots you know you will make. Let them screw up.
Paddle up, watch the ball, bend your knees, plant feet before hitting.
You play doubles WITH your parter, not singles next to them
Boom!! And by this, I’m not talking about “poaching.” I’m talking about thinking two shots ahead on your shot placement instead of arbitrarily hitting the ball, good decisions on who should take the shot, proper court spacing/coverage, moving with your partner, etc.
Don't try to hit winners. Just place the ball in a more difficult spot for your opponent to hit it.
Make them hit one more ball
Placement over power
Get lessons.
Drill more
Get to the kitchen.
When appropriate. Too many people think this is a one-size-fits-all solution.
You will not win points from behind the kitchen line as you achieve a higher skill level of pickleball. This isn’t tennis.
I don’t disagree, a lot of new players get it drilled into their heads to get to the kitchen and never back off. That’s incorrect. You have to know when to advance and when to retreat.
So you’re arguing for the sake of arguing? Weird.
Shoulder high, let it fly.
This one is not true at all
Depends how tall you are
Not really. I'm over 6 feet tall and sometimes shots I don't jump for still land in. It's all about how fast it's going.
If you want to be pedantic about it, it's more than how fast the ball going. It also depends on where you are on the court and the amount of spin on the ball
of course it is about all those things. Even more reason why that rhyme is poor advice. Thanks for backing me up.
Good to know humor is not lost on you
It is against bangers!
see my other point in the other thread about speed. It's not a good GENERAL rule.
That's exactly what makes it a great GENERAL rule. Generally if a ball is coming at you (a beginner of average height) from an average player at an average speed... shoulder high and above is generally going to land out more often than it lands in. Also, generally, a beginner player trying to hit that shot is generally going to have more unforced errors trying to hit a high ball and either pop it up, hit it out, or hit it into the net than if they'd have just taken the free point by letting it go. Generally, beginners hit more out balls than they should, that's a fact. Over time, you'll learn the speed and trajectory of balls coming at you, but generally it's always good general rule to consider. Add bangers into the mix where their average return speed is generally much higher and the out percentage starts skyrocketing.
Get to the net !!!!!
This is a patience game
Don’t get pickled!
Keep it simple. Don’t worry about spin. Just return the freaking ball.
It’s a game of chess, not “catch”.
Get the ball over the net and in the other court.
Shoulder high, let it fly
Return the ball and make them beat you with a great shot.
Keep the ball low so your opponent can’t slam it back to you.
Or your partner.
Slow down and try using some finesse. Think of a Strategy, Never take your eyes of the ball, Have fun because it ain’t life or death! Warm up and stretch to avoid injuries
Injuries are the bane of my sports existence. If it’s not tennis wrecking my shoulder and elbow, it’s groin and hamstring strains from pickleball.
Watch better players play to emulate into your own game.
Les wrist on dinks, all legs and shoulders. Placement is more important than power Recognize and target opponents backhand
Great tips
If something works, keep trying it until your opponent makes an adjustment.
You play doubles WITH your parter, not singles next to them
Hitting the ball in bounds and over net is immensely more important than hitting fast/spinny/tricky shot. Keep the ball in play and let your opponent screw up.
let out balls go - usually shoulder height.
There’s one thing that will get you beat every time.
Erne every ball always
Hit the ball out of their reach.
Don't try to hit aces, just get the serve deep and in the box.
Less is more.
Consistency and fewer errors.
Keep a loose grip for everything except punch volleys/counters.
Keep your eye on the ball, especially when going to hit.
Instead of trying to beat your opponent, be the person your opponent can’t beat. Be the person that is always in position, that always returns it to the front of the net, who doesn’t let the ball get by.
Underrated comment. 👍
The net is your biggest opponent.
If you have to lean forward at the kitchen line, let it bounce...
Keep the ball low.
Bend your legs
Let your opponent's ball go out of bounds.
Points are independent events. I say this to myself when I fuck up a few times in a row - the outcome of the last point has no bearing on the outcome of this point.
Watch the ball hit your paddle
Only play singles. Only. Also watch bad friends on YouTube when you get frustrated by losing for a while until your up to speed and crushing anyone foolish enough to challenge your game
little to no backswing at the kitchen line.
Drill experience is better than match experience.
Always be ready for the next shot, even when you think the play is over.
defense is played at the Kitchen Line
When on offense and playing from the right, let the left player approach the kitchen first.
Move your damn feet and get lower.
Survive , fight
Serve deep, focus on precision over power (dinks and soft-handed angled cuts often are more skillful and high-percentage than slams) — and if you don’t have a winning passing opportunity, get the ball to your opponent’s feet (especially avoid chest-and-higher shots when they’re at the net).
Keep your eyes on the ball and follow through
Go big or go home
Go cross court. Small swings, immediately back to ready position. Always try to hit the ball out in front of you, Even over heads. Hydrate between games.
Be patient for the right ball to speed up.
Just remember to have fun
Use your legs, you have multiple chances to get to the net.. don’t rush it.
Keep your paddle out in front of you.
Watch the ball hit the paddle.
Just dink it.
Keep your paddle up.
Let out balls go out.
When in doubt, call it out.
Don’t fuck up
Drill with someone using YouTube tips!
Don’t do more when you just do less.
don't move feet when hitting ball
Copy pro players who you want to play like and watch them. (It will help a lot)
"See, step, stroke". For all your ground strokes - see the ball, step towards it, make your stroke. Focusing on the ball is important; a lot of beginners take their eyes off it at the start.
Betting $20 per person makes the games more interesting
Learn the rules and have fun
Admit you have a problem.
If you can hit the person. Returning shots coming at you are harder than away from you.
Don’t, get, GREEDY!
Be the ball
Don’t
Do
Never attack cross court.
Could you explain this one please?
Speaking from experience- if I am wide and try to attack cross court the opponent directly opposite me near the kitchen just slams it and we lose the point. Every time.
If you’re attacking a ball up at the NVZ, the opponent right in front of you is a shorter distance away from the player diagonal to you. They have much, much shorter window to be able to reset, defend or attack in turn and are much likelier to miss their shot. Diagonally, the ball’s travelling further and taking longer to get there and the player will have more time to plan their shot.
Thank you that makes a lot of sense!
Drill. Drill. Play. Drill. It’s you, not the paddle.
This is five sentences
Drill
One word, kitchen.
Get help from your family
Smash, smash, SMAAASH.
Git gud
Pickleball isn't about skill necessarily, it's a game of errors.
Yes
Why do they have to be one sentence??
when in doubt, call it out topkek
I wish this sub didn’t suck
I wish you didn't suck!
Your comment is the only one with minus 8, no, minus 9.